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Stanford University to Sponsor Students to Join Istanbul Commemoration for Armenian Genocide

Joint Initiative with Project 2015 to Offer Students Study Credits and Travel Grants for Travel to Turkey

(Los Angeles, March 3, 2015) – The Stanford Global Studies Division, in conjunction with the Handa Center for Human Rights, the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREEES), and the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, has agreed to sponsor three Stanford University students to participate in the Armenian Genocide centennial commemoration in Istanbul, Project 2015 said today.

“We are delighted that Stanford University will support the efforts of Project 2015 to support a global commemoration of the Armenian Genocide in Istanbul this April,” said Seepan Parseghian, Project 2015 board member. “We look forward to having Stanford students take advantage of this great opportunity to join the historic commemoration activities.”

“Being able to discuss issues such as the Armenian Genocide with scholars from Armenia and Turkey is of profound importance for our students’ intellectual growth,” said Norman Naimark, Fisher Family Director of Stanford Global Studies. “This fits into the mission of Stanford Global Studies of providing unique opportunities for students to explore complex issues from multiple perspectives.”

Project 2015, a US-based organization, is working to ensure that a large contingent of Armenians come to Turkey for the historic centennial commemoration. Working with Durde, its partner organization in Turkey, Project 2015 is ensuring a meaningful opportunity to honor the victims of the genocide and recognize the resilience of the survivors. Stanford University is making grants available to any student interested in joining these commemoration activities in Istanbul.

Project 2015 is also making a limited number of study grants of a minimum of $750 available to students wishing to travel to Turkey for the commemoration events; application materials and further information is available on the Project 2015 website at armenianproject2015.org. The deadline for applications is March 15, 2015.

Study grant participants are expected to participate actively at each of the commemoration-related events in Istanbul, including: a commemoration concert on April 22; the April 24 events at various locations in the city, culminating with the commemoration at Taksim Square; and an academic conference on April 26 and 27 at Bilgi University with co-sponsorship by UCLA’s Richard Hovannisian Endowed Chair in Modern Armenian History.

“We hope that other universities follow Stanford’s lead in making study credits and travel grants available for their students to participate and learn from this important initiative,” said Parseghian.